Avec Toi, C'est Mon Destin
by SleepyBard
Summary: A love story between Jacob and Edward, beginning with an unlikely imprint and futile denial. Because every author in this fandom must write the obligatory "Jacob imprints on Edward romance" fic.
1. Forward

**Forward**

I didn't want to take up space on every individual chapter for an author's note, thus I'm beginning this fic the way many books begin: with a forward from the author.

To begin, I'd like to say that this will be my first WIP that I know I will seriously commit to as I post it. What I mean by this is that I will with certainty finish this fic. In the past, I have started smaller projects that lost their magic before even halfway through the work. I've realized that I need to stay focused as a writer, and thus should not be beginning projects and giving them up, at least not _after_ publishing them for fans to read. This is very unfair to readers and leaves me feeling shameful of myself.

I am also currently working on a Harry Potter novel length fic. Currently it is almost 50,000 words long. I mention this because I want all prospective readers to know that this is not my only project and thus I must allot time to work on both works. I'm writing _this_ fic as I go along, whereas my HP piece will be completed before I post it on the web.

I won't ask readers to be patient with me as I update. This, in my opinion, is rude. Oftentimes authors give the excuse of being busy with real life. I fully understand this, but at the same time I feel that once a writer has committed to a story, it is their obligation to see it through. If my updates, at any point, become fewer and fewer in between, I will not object to readers contacting me. If anything, it will give me a reason to continue to write.

Continuing on this, I also would like to say that I am not an author who begs for reviews. For me, page hits mean the same thing as a written review. It would be quite hypocritical of me to demand a review when many times I myself do not leave one. With that, I will not stop any readers from flaming me. While I sincerely hope I do not give anyone a reason to send me hateful reviews, I cannot stop anyone from doing so. If my work really is that terrible for you, and you feel the need to let me know, I cannot stop you from voicing your opinion.

As a writer, for many of you who have never read any of my works, I am very much a _romance_ writer. What I mean is that I absolutely abhor unnecessary drama. Piling on the angst between two central characters, to me, only shows immaturity on the part of the writer. A good story is never completely suffused with melodrama. It's the _joy_ and the beauty of the relationship that balances out the occasional drama that attracts readers. As well, it keeps the story continuing at a relaxed but engaging pace.

I don't how long this story will be. At this point it could be anywhere between 5 chapters to over 50. It all depends on how far the plot can continue without becoming exhausting for the audience.

The title of the story, Avec Toi, C'est Mon Destin, is French for (roughly) _My Destiny is with You_, (literally, With You, is My Destiny). The titles of all the chapters will be based on some other art, be it a line from a poem, song, artwork name, book, etc.

With all this said, I'd like to welcome you on my newest endeavor, a love story between Jacob Black and Edward Cullen from Stephanie Meyer's _Twilight_ saga. Where it goes and how far, only time can ever know.

**Summary**: A love story between Jacob and Edward, beginning with an unlikely imprint and futile denial. Because every author in this fandom must write the_ Jacob imprints on Edward _romance fic.

**Disclaimer**: Twilight belongs solely to Stephanie Meyer. I am merely borrowing her characters for some creative, fan-based writing. No opinions or original characters or storyline in the following story in any way reflect her opinions.

Semper fidelis,_  
Bard_


	2. Prologue The Storm Begins

**Prologue - The Storm Begins**

Chapters will not be this short. This is merely a short prologue. Title comes from the piano piece, _The Storm Begins_ by Jennifer Haines. See Forward for disclaimer.

* * *

Like all things in Jacob's life, it was expected that love would come no more easily than anything else he'd wanted before. Fate is often fickle in that it enjoys seeing one suffer for happiness.

The sound of the glass from the window breaking caused Jacob to jump, his heart running a 100 mile race within his chest. He clenched his eyes shut, covering his mouth with his hand to stifle any whimper that may escape. He tried to even his breathing, knowing _he_ would easily hear it, but it was a fruitless effort.

"_Jaaaacob_," he heard his name whispered. "Come on Jay, I just wanna talk."

Talk was the last thing Ryan wanted, and Jacob knew this without a doubt.

A bead of sweat trailed down the side of his face before falling silently on to his jean clad knee. Despite how hot he was, he couldn't suppress a shiver at the sound of Ryan's voice.

"Seriously, just come out here…I promise, I won't try anything," Ryan continued.

_Fat chance of that_, Jacob thought miserably. The last time Jacob had been face to face with Ryan, they had both been in their wolf form with Ryan clawing at his face.

"_Please_, Jacob!" he heard Ryan plead. "I'm sorry, alright? Please, just-" he broke off, as though unsure how to finish.

"Give me a chance Jacob. I can make it better, I swear!"

Jacob almost wasn't able to keep in the sob that threatened to fall from his mouth. _Better? Is the fucker _serious_? How the fuck can he make this better?_

He felt his throat burn as he tried to reign in the tears wanting to spill over when he opened his eyes, staring unblinkingly at the chipping floorboard by his foot. _Nothing can make this better,_ he thought morosely. _I'm dying, I won't survive this, survive life…Not without-_

"Come out Jacob. Stop hiding from me," Ryan commanded, his voice emotionless now, having lost all its face sincerity. "When I find you, Jacob Black…" he trailed off, the threat clear.

There was nothing left for him to do now. He could continue hiding, knowing Ryan would find him sooner or later (most likely sooner) or he could go out there and go down with a fight.

He chose option two.

With a painful heave, his side still unhealed from the gash Ryan had caused earlier, Jacob pushed himself off the floor of his hiding place behind the piano.

"You want me?" Jacob asked rhetorically, trying not to flinch back in fear at the sight of Ryan's gleeful smile as he spun around to face Jacob.

"Come and get me."

* * *

_**TBC**_


	3. Chapter 1 Hello Seattle

**Chapter 1** – Hello Seattle

**Brief Notes:** Title taken from the song _Hello Seattle_ by Owl City. Not exactly the best, because Jacob's not in Seattle, but you all understand what I meant. See Forward for disclaimer.

**Warnings:** None for this chapter.

* * *

_**Present**_

If one were to follow Route-32 for 4 miles outside the little town of Forks, Washington, he or she would eventually find a small, unassuming dirt road to the right. Turning down the lane, a canopy of dark trees casting almost foreboding shadows on the car, Jacob Black sighed for the hundredth time since the car ride began.

To say he was nervous would be the understatement of the year.

He was currently riding in the passenger seat of his social worker's, Laura Summers, black Jetta. The windows were rolled down half way, allowing in the soft summer breeze, smelling faintly of oncoming rain.

He ignored the look Ms. Summers sent him, partway between concern and irritation.

It wasn't necessarily that he didn't _want_ to meet his father. Under less grim circumstances, he would in fact be more than happy to see the man who had sired him 16 years ago (and who he had only seen once since then). It was the thought that he was to be with the man indefinitely that bothered him.

After his mother had passed away, leaving him with no one, it was decided that he would return to Forks, Washington in order to live with his father. At 16, Jacob counted himself lucky that if his father ended up to be 'a dick', as he'd told social services, he'd only have to suffer two years with him.

And so, one week after his mother's funeral, he was crossing the Oregon border and preparing himself for his first encounter with his dad in 6 years.

* * *

He was fortunate that he didn't have a lot of stuff. Everything he owned fit into two suitcases, both of which were in the trunk of the car.

The car came to a stop before a well-sized, two-story white home with a paint-peeled porch. Jacob stared at it uncritically at first, knowing that first appearances were often deceptive. With another small sigh, he waited for the social worker to unlock the door before opening it and stepping out of the cramped space for the first time in hours.

"We'll get you bags out once we've been introduced to your dad," the social worker said as she stepped out the car as well. Jacob nodded mutely, shoving his hands into the pockets of his ragged jeans, following her as she began making her way up the porch steps.

They waited silently after she knocked on the door. After a few seconds, the door suddenly opened, revealing Billy Black.

He was, to put it bluntly, not what Jacob had expected. Not at all.

For one thing, his father was about 2 feet shorter than he'd expected, although that could be ascribed to his being in a wheelchair. The lines on his face, a testament to his age, told a story of a life long-lived, adventure and boyish mishap etched between each wrinkle.

Jacob had forgotten the image of his father over the course of their six years apart. In addition, his mother had kept no pictures of him around the house, so he'd never had an opportunity to see even a photo of him.

The three of them stood, in Billy's case sat, there in silence for a minute before Billy's face broke out into a large grin.

"Evening Mr. Black," Ms. Summers said quickly. "I'm Ms. Summers, the social worker. We spoke on the phone?"

"Yes, yes of course. Jacob," he said, wheeling backwards, "it's been a long time. Come in, come in, please."

Jacob and Ms. Summers followed him inside.

They finally came to stop inside the kitchen.

"Please, have a seat," Billy said, still grinning.

They both sat down.

"Thank you Mr. Black for agreeing to this on such short notice," Ms. Summers immediately began. "I know this can't be easy for you, after everything that's happened."

"I'll admit it came as a shock when I heard the news. While the situation is certainly not the best, I can't deny my happiness to have my son with me again." Ms. Summers nodded her head before turning to Jacob.

"Well, there isn't much more for me to do here. It was nice getting to know you Jacob, I'm sure you'll be fine here. If there's anything you need, you have my number." She pushed her chair back and stood gracefully.

"Would you like anything before you leave? Coffee? Tea? Maybe something to eat?" Billy asked courteously.

She shook her head. "No, thank you. I have a long drive back, I'll probably just stop somewhere on my way home."

"If you're sure then." The two made their way from the kitchen back to the front door.

Jacob simply sat in his chair, looking around the small room he was in. It was sparsely decorated, a few pictures of who he assumed were his father's friends sat in picture frames in various places. Although it was small, the room certainly had a charm to it.

He heard the social worker and his father bid each other goodbye, before the door closed and the sound of his father wheeling back to the kitchen sounded.

"You hungry? I was just about to start dinner," Billy asked when he returned.

"Uh, I'm good," Jacob said, somewhat awkwardly. "I think I'll just sleep, if that's alright."

"Of course, of course." He left the kitchen again. Assuming he meant for him follow him, Jacob stood and walked behind him.

"Your room is upstairs, first door to your left. I'd show it to you myself but I uh, haven't been up there in a while, as you can probably imagine." Billy looked back at his son and cracked a smile, which Jacob reciprocated.

"I had some of the kids on the reservation help clean it out. I hope they did an acceptable job. Ms. Summers left your bags here. I'd help bring them up but…"

"It's fine thank you."

"If you need anything," he trailed off. Jacob nodded.

"Thanks." Jacob grabbed his bags, and started up the staircase, but his father's voice stopped him.

"Jacob," he hesitated for a second, struggling with what to say. "I'm glad you're here," he said finally.

Jacob was quite for a moment. "Yea," he said, "me too."

* * *

A week passed before Jacob was forced to actually meet the other members of the reservation and in that time, he'd grown unexpectedly close to his father.

If he were honest, he'd go so far as to say even closer than he'd ever been with his mom.

There was something about Billy Black that gave Jacob a feeling of comfort, knowing almost subconsciously that Billy just _understood_. Jacob didn't feel like he was battling to convey the things he felt or things he wanted to share when he spoke with his father. It just came naturally It was a gratifying feeling.

It felt almost as though they'd never been separated in the first place. He found himself telling everything to his father, everything from stupid mistakes he'd made growing up to all the stunts he'd pulled (and hadn't always gotten away with).

When he wasn't catching up with his father (it had only taken a few days before Jacob found himself already calling him dad), he was learning the town of Forks, Washington. He had driven into town a few times with his father, seeing everything there was to see which, unsurprisingly, wasn't all that much.

When he'd admitted his knack for fixing cars – and his talent with mechanics in general, his father had agreed to let him try to fix up the old motorcycle that he kept (for sentimental reasons, Jacob suspected). After taking one look at it, Jacob had decided that it was indeed going to be a challenge, but one that he was looking forward to. As he didn't have a summer job to keep him busy, he figured fixing up the motorcycle until school started in a month would keep him from going too crazy.

After that week of bonding with his father, he was finally introduced formally to a few of the others on the reservation.

There was Sam Uley, Quil, Embry, Paul, Leah, and Seth. Together, they had all seemed friendly enough initially. There was just something about them…

It wasn't anything blatant. It was something subtle, like an underlying current that seemed to charge the atmosphere when they had all come over for dinner one night. They were nice enough, it wasn't like it was anything hostile.

It was something deep. They all seemed so connected for some reason, far more connected than friends or even families usually were. It was as though they were all inside each others' heads, knew each little nuance of personality between each other. While it was almost refreshing to see such close camaraderie, Jacob had to admit that it was a bit daunting as well. He couldn't help but worry how he would fit in with them all.

He figured he had time though. It wasn't as though they were expecting him to open up to them and become the greatest of friends after that one dinner. Jacob knew logically that it would take time.

It helped that he and Seth would be attending the same school together. Though they were a year apart, Jacob would be a junior in the fall while Seth would be a sophomore, Jacob decided that getting to know Seth better would help him fit in more easily, not only at school but on the reservation as well.

Soon after meeting them, Billy had invited Jacob to meet his close friend Charlie Swan. Not one to be rude, and of course not wanting to pass up an opportunity to get to know another student after he'd heard Charlie had a daughter that attended the same high school, Jacob readily accepted the invitation.

And so two weeks after arriving to his father's house, Jacob found himself driving his father and himself over to Charlie Swan's house for dinner.

"You'll like Bella," his father said to him, as though sensing his nervousness. "Charlie and she are good friends; you'll get along great with them."

"Yea, I know. Just a little a nervous I guess. Don't wanna make a bad impression," Jacob replied with a shrug. His father nodded in understanding.

"No need to worry. They're both wonderful."

When they arrived, Jacob pulled up into the driveway and turned off the engine. He quickly climbed out and helped his father out of the car as well. As they made their way up to the front door, Jacob couldn't help but notice the well kept lawn and small garden of the front yard. _They seem like friendly folk already_, Jacob thought to himself, only slightly sarcastic.

After ringing the doorbell, it was only a few seconds later when Jacob heard footsteps getting louder, before the door was thrown open to reveal who could only be Charlie Swan.

"Billy, Jacob! Get in here you two!" He moved out of the way, a large smile splitting his face as he stared happily at them.

"Thanks Charlie for having us," Billy said.

"Not at all, I'm glad to finally meet your son." He held out his hand after closing the door, "Charlie Swan, Jacob, your dad's told me a lot about you."

Jacob briefly wondered when his dad could have talked 'a lot' about him but dismissed the thought quickly.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Swan," he said, shaking the older man's hand.

"Bella's just getting the food on the table. You can have a seat, I'm just gonna grab some drinks," he informed them, leading the way to the kitchen.

Charlie quickly disappeared to what Jacob figured was the garage. He didn't think about it too much though because the moment he stepped into the kitchen, he froze.

Bella had just finished setting the last dish on the table and turned around, hearing the two guests enter. She smiled warmly at Billy first before her gaze shifted to Jacob's.

"Hey Mr. Black, how are you?"

"I'm good Bells. Something sure smells delicious,"

"That would be the alfredo. Everything's done and ready, we'll just wait for my dad I guess."

She walked forward to Billy, leaning down and giving him a loose embrace before pulling away.

"And you must be Jacob. I'm Bella," she said.

"Hi," Jacob replied. "Thanks for inviting us over," he added.

"It's no problem! Your dad's usually here every weekend for dinner anyway, and my dad could do with the company," she said laughing.

Jacob struggled not to blush. It wasn't that he was averse to the opposite sex, not that he'd had much interaction with them to know either way (always having been somewhat of a longer growing up). But something about the innocent, carefree way Bella kept smiling at him caused his body to heat up in a way that was almost unpleasant and certainly awkward.

As she continued to share his gaze, he fought the urge to break eye contact, feeling almost ridiculous. He wasn't one to get flustered so easily.

"Bella, you spreading lies about me already?" Charlie suddenly asked, reentering the kitchen.

"Course not Dad, would I do that?" They all shared a grin.

"Well come on then, I'm hungry. Let's eat," Billy spoke up.

* * *

Dinner went on without a hitch, conversation flowing smoothly as they all regaled stories to each other, mostly for Jacob's benefit.

"So Jacob, Billy tells me you're fixing up his old motorbike?" Charlie asked, in between a lull in the conversation.

Jacob swallowed the food in his mouth politely before answering. "Yea, dad's letting me try at least. I hope to have it running soon."

"You will, don't worry," Billy interjected, grinning at Bella and Charlie from across the table before adding, "boy spends all his time in that garage."

"That's not true!" Jacob protested, somewhat indignant. They laughed once again before Bella spoke.

"I didn't know you were good with bikes."

"I like to fix up cars, I've tinkered with motorbikes too. I figure the bike will give me something to get to school on," he supplied.

"That's cool. You're going to Forks High, right? I could give you a lift if you ever need it. And then maybe once you've fixed the bike we could take turns picking each other up."

"Now Bella, I'm not-

"Yea, that'd be great," Jacob said quickly, interrupting her dad. Charlie looked like he would protest for a second.

"Just be careful you two," he finally said. Taking that as a (grudging) approval, Bella shot Jacob another heartwarming grin.

Jacob found himself once again struggling not to blush.

* * *

"I don't see why you can't just get a ride with me," Seth grumbled, kicking a rock by his foot as he waited for his mom to pull the car up.

"I told you, Bella already offered me a ride," Jacob replied impatiently. He ran his hand through his short hair, shivering as the cool morning air wrapped around him.

"Yea whatever. I think you're just infatuated with her," Seth shot back, rolling his eyes. Jacob resisted the urge to cuff the boy playfully in the head.

Over the course of the three weeks after the dinner at Bella's house, Jacob had grown quite close to the members of his reservation, Seth in particular. He found the boy to be fun and oftentimes amusing, what with his dry sarcasm and lighthearted attitude.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I don't like Bella, at least not like that."

"Yea, sure, whatever you say."

They both heard the sound of a car honk. Seth turned to him before leaving.

"I'll see you in school. Try to not get mauled over by anyone." Jacob rolled his eyes.

"Get outta here, your mom's waiting." Seth turned and ran towards the car.

It was only a few minutes later when Jacob heard the unmistakable rumbling of Bella's truck rolling up. She grinned at him from inside, waving at him in hello.

He rubbed his hands together as he walked towards the large truck. Slipping inside, he groaned at the blast of heat that greeted him.

"God, how can this town get so hot and then so damn cold within a week?" he complained.

Bella laughed. "Poor Jacob, shall I rub your hands for you? How 'bout I throw rose petals on the ground around you? Would that make Jakey feel better?"

"Shut up," Jacob said, punching her lightly in the shoulder.

Bella only laughed, louder this time, as she backed out.

They'd been driving for only a few minutes before Bella piped up.

"So, you nervous?"

"About what?"

"School. People. I don't know, it's gotta be pretty scary right? New place and all that?"

"It won't be that bad," he said with a shrug. "Besides, I already know you and Seth. Who else do I need."

"You really know how to flatter a girl, Jacob."

"Thanks, I try." They lapsed into a comfortable silence for the rest of the car ride, the only sound being the low hum of the radio that Bella had turned on to some pop radio station.

Finally, she pulled into the school parking lot, grabbing a space close to the building.

"Well this looks…inviting," Jacob said skeptically, as he climbed out of the car after Bella. He hooked his back pack on his right shoulder, once again running his hand through his short hair in a nervous gesture as he stared at the tall, imposing building before him.

"It's not so bad. You'll get used to it." She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder briefly before pulling away.

There were plenty of students milling about already as they made their way up to the front entrance.

"Hey Jake, I hate to do this to you, but there's someone I'm supposed to meet. Do you mind if I just drop you off at the office? The secretary will tell you where your first class is." Jacob looked at Bella's pleading face. Knowing she must feel bad because she was just that kind of person, Jacob ignored his sudden anxiety and gave her a forced smile.

"Yea no problem. I may be from the city but I think I can find my way around."

"Thanks Jake! I'll catch you at lunch," she said as she turned away from him after stopping in front of the office.

Jacob took a deep breath before opening the door. He had a feeling this day was going to be a long one, and it had only just begun.

* * *

_**TBC**_


	4. Chapter 2 Haven't Met You Yet

**Chapter 2 – **Haven't Met You Yet

**Brief Notes:** Title taken from the song _Haven't Met You Yet_ by Michael Buble. Sorry for the delay, and that this chapter is about 300 words shorter than chapter 1. It took me forever to figure out how to set up the plot without being cliche. Also, this story isn't going to be one of those, Edward and Jacob fall in love with 10 secs of meeting each other. This is going to be paced. I foresee Jakeward interaction somewhere around the end of chapter 3 at the earliest or chapter 4. See Forward for disclaimer.

Thank you for everyone who's reviewed. The hitcount really tells me that people are liking this story, even if it is built upon the grandest cliche in the Twilight slash fandom.

**Warnings:** None for this chapter.

* * *

By the time lunch had come, Jacob had almost had enough of Forks High School.

Not only did he not know anyone in his classes, he hadn't seen Bella since that morning, when she'd left him stranded in front of the office, leaving him to locate all his classes by himself.

He had missed the beginning of his first class, thus becoming the unwanted center of attention the moment he'd entered the room. And all of his teachers, thus far, had asked him introduce himself to everyone. By his third class, he had his 30 second introduction memorized, repeating it not only for the room, but for the officious students looking to learn more about the fresh meat in their school.

When the bell finally rang at the end of 3rd period English, Jacob was hard pressed not to feel immense relief. The bell signaled not only the end of class, but the beginning of lunch, which meant he would finally be able to find Seth and Bella again.

That, at least, was the plan.

* * *

"Jacob! Wait up!" Jacob stopped and turned, watching amused as Seth butted his way through the crowd in the hall to catch up with him.

"So, how're your classes?" Seth asked as they continued on their way to the lunchroom.

"Just awesome," Jacob answered dryly.

"I'll bet," Seth said with a laugh.

Someone knocked into Jacob's side, causing his backpack to slide down his shoulder. _Asshole_, Jacob thought as he righted his bag,

"So, make any new friends? I'll bet everyone here was on you like wolves on prey," Seth said with a grin as he held the lunch door open for Jacob.

"Thanks," Jacob muttered. Seth led him to the lunch line. The cafeteria was already almost full and buzzing with conversation as friends met up with friends.

Jacob grabbed a tray for himself before answering.

"Oh man, it was worse. I must've told people my name a 100 times at least, only to repeat it again for the next kid in line. Remind me again why I'm not going to school with everyone else on the reservation?" Jacob waited as the lunch lady across the counter piled a spoonful of what appeared to be macaroni and cheese onto his plastic tray.

"Because Bill wanted you to make some friends and you, being the accommodating son you are, agreed?"

They paid for their lunches and found a table together towards the middle of the cafeteria. Jacob could still feel the eyes of some of the students who he hadn't yet come in contact with staring at him. He did his best to ignore their curious gazes.

"Where're your friends? Don't tell me we're sitting by ourselves."

"Ha ha, you're so funny," Seth said, taking a bite out of his pepperoni pizza. He swallowed before answering, "They should be coming soon. It's only a couple of other guys." Jacob nodded before beginning on his own lunch.

"So where's Bella?" Seth asked after a moment. Jacob couldn't be sure, but there was something that sounded off in the way Seth asked him the question. He shrugged the feeling off though, chalking it up just simple envy that Jacob had gotten a ride to school with her instead of Seth that morning.

"Dunno. When I see her I'll let you know."

After waiting 20 minutes, in which time some of Seth's friends trickled in and sat down (meaning more redundant introductions), Bella still hadn't shown up. Jacob wasn't necessarily worried. There were a dozen places she could be. In fact she could still be coming.

The idea was dismissed however when five minutes late signaled the end of lunch and she still hadn't arrived. Jacob pushed down the worry that wormed its way into his gut.

* * * *

He didn't find Bella at the end of the day, after classes had finished. When he went out to the parking lot, he found her car missing as well. He sighed, wondering just how he was going to get home.

"Hey, you need a ride?" Jacob spun around, letting out a breath of relief at the sight of Seth in the car with his mom.

"Yea, thanks! I have no idea where Bella went but I guess she left school early or something."

He climbed into the backseat of the car, dropping his bag on the floor carelessly before grabbing the seatbelt and buckling himself in.

"I wouldn't worry about Bella. She's probably fine," Seth said. Again, Jacob couldn't help but wonder at the strange tone in the younger boy's voice. He decided not to dwell too much on it though.

"Yea, sure." The car ride after that was pretty quiet, with Seth's mom occasionally asking them about their first day of school.

When Jacob walked into his home, he realized Billy must have gone out, since there was no answer when he'd called out for him. He grumbled as he made his way into the kitchen, where he deposited his bag unceremoniously on the ground.

Grabbing an apple from the center bowl, he made his way into the living room to watch a bit of TV before starting on his homework.

* * *

The next morning dawned bright with the sun peeking out from behind the clouds. Despite the appearance of it however, the morning still retained its biting chill, the crisp air as unforgiving as the day before.

Jacob was standing at the corner again, waiting for Bella to pick him as he assumed she would (even though he hadn't talked to her the night before). After several minutes of waiting, he was joined by Seth, who casually slung his arm around Jacob's shoulders.

"You, my friend, will be getting a ride with me to school today," the younger boy said.

Jacob shrugged off Seth's arm. "No offense Seth, but I'm expecting Bella to come."

"I can guarantee she won't be coming, Jacob."

"And why, pray tell, do you think that?" Jacob asked, somewhat exasperated.

"Because," Seth paused, as though considering his next words. "The sun's out."

Jacob shot him a look of mild irritation. "Thank you Al Roker, but I can clearly see that it's bright and sunny. What does that have anything to with Bella picking me up? I'm pretty sure she has no aversion to sunlight, last time I checked."

"No, _she_ doesn't, but-"

Seth was cut off by the sound of his mom's car. "Come on, seriously. She isn't coming, Jacob."

Jacob wasn't sure what to do. He didn't want to leave with Seth only to have Bella actually come. He glanced at his watch quickly, and realized he was getting late. Making a quick decision, he nodded his head and followed Seth into the car.

Jacob's second day of school panned out almost exactly like his first, only with fewer introductions. Feeling less irritable than he had yesterday, he even managed to talk freely with some of the other students in his classes. By the time English had come around, he'd already made plans to sit with a group from his history class during lunch.

He couldn't, however, stop thinking about Bella. It was strange of her to miss school. He assumed she'd left early the day before as well, but that seemed so uncharacteristic of her. Although he hadn't known her for too long, he knew her well enough to know that she was a serious student. He just couldn't think of any possible reason for her to miss out on school.

This brought him to consider maybe something had happened. His father hadn't mentioned anything wrong going on in the Swan residence, and as Billy and Charlie were so close he figured his dad would tell him if anything was amiss. So where then, was she?

Lunch was less awkward that day than the day before. Seth had come in with some of his own friends, waving to Jacob before they all took a table a little ways off from where Jacob and his group were.

"So, how do you like Forks?" the boy across from him asked. If Jacob remembered correctly, his name was Mike.

"Alright I guess. I've only been here a few weeks, so I can't really say."

"Where do you live? I didn't see around town at all over the summer," a girl with dark, curly hair asked. She had her purse on the table. On the corner of it Jacob spotted a pink keychain with '_Jessica_' on it.

He took a sip from his carton of milk before answering. "La Push Reservation," he said simply.

He felt slightly uncomfortable at the looks the others gave him at his statement. "What?" he asked, unsure of how to react.

A girl from his English class, Lauren, answered. "Nothing, it's just…"

"Most of the kids from the reserve don't come to Forks High. That kid, Seth I think, is the only one I know of," Jessica jumped in.

"Yea, we're pretty independent, I guess."

"So, why'd you move here? No offense man, but Forks is the kind of place you move _from_, not _to_," Mike said.

"My mom passed away so I came here to live with my dad," Jacob answered quickly. He didn't want to see the looks of pity or sympathy he knew he would receive from that admission.

"Shit that sucks!" Mike exclaimed. Immediately, Jessica slapped him on the arm with the back of her hand.

"Don't be so insensitive," she berated, shooting him a glare. Jacob felt his lips quirk at their banter, watching as Mike rubbed his arm with a scowl.

A girl from his English class, Angela, finally spoke, "That must have been tough, having to adjust here." Her voice was soft and although she had a look of sympathy on her face, it didn't seem quite so pitying as he was used to seeing.

"Thanks," Jacob said to her. "It wasn't that bad though. I met most of the kids on the reservation about a week after I came here. And my dad introduced me to Bella Swan a few days after that, so I knew a couple people before I started school."

"Bella _Swan_?" Jessica suddenly asked. Jacob wasn't sure what to make of the incredulous look on her face.

"Yea," he said slowly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound so…so…"

"Rude?" Mike asked, as though getting back at her for her earlier smack. She rolled her eyes.

"Yea. I was just, you know, surprised," she said. "Bella doesn't usually hang out with _any_one other than the Cullens," she muttered. Jacob sensed a bitter tone to her words and had to wonder what had happened between her and Bella to place it there.

"Uh, well, I haven't actually met the…_Cullens_…yet, so I'm not really sure what you're getting at," Jacob said slowly, curious to find out whom the Cullens were.

"Don't mind her," Lauren said, leaning over in her seat slightly so she didn't have to speak as loudly. "She's just jealous Bella spends most of her time with them."

Intrigued, Jacob asked, "Who are they? I don't think they're in any of my classes, or else I would've met them by now."

"Oh, they haven't been in school yet," Mike answered. "Whenever the weather's nice, the whole family goes camping. Bella started going with them too, since last year. She's dating Edward," he added.

Jacob's confusion must have been apparent on his face, because Lauren elaborated, "Edward's one of the siblings. There's five of them, all adopted by Dr. Carlisle and his wife. Dunno much about them, they're all really secretive and only ever hang out with each other." She dropped her voice to whisper, as though about to reveal a great secret, "Between you and me, they're all _super_ gorgeous, Edward especially."

"And Bella's going out with him?" Angela nodded in affirmation to his question.

Jacob was unsure how he felt about that. If he were honest, he'd admit that he'd begun to have feelings for his new friend, and hearing that she was already taken caused him to feel slightly disappointed. He had to wonder though why, in the few times he and Bella had hung out over the summer, she'd never once mentioned her boyfriend.

"Can we _not_ talk about the Cullens anymore?" Jessica interrupted. No one said anything to her remark, but Lauren changed the topic.

"So Jacob, since you're new and all, allow me to extend to you your first hang out invitation," she said with a grin. "This Friday we're all having a bonfire up at La Push Lake. It's kinda like a 'welcome back to school' thing we do every year. You up for it?"

"Yea, why not. Should I bring anything?"

"Nope. Mike's dad supplies us the food and Jess gets us the booze," Lauren said with a smirk. "Just bring a jacket or something. It gets really cold down at the lake."

"Hey, are you gonna need a ride? I wouldn't mind picking you up, unless you're gonna come with all the other reserve kids," Mike said.

"I'll just come with Seth I guess."

"Cool! It's really fun, don't worry." Jacob nodded, finishing the rest of his lunch listening to the group talk more about their summers before lunch ended.

* * *

When Jacob returned home that afternoon, once again stealing a ride from Seth, he was met by his dad sitting at the kitchen table.

"Jacob, how was school?" Billy asked. He was eating a sandwich, almost halfway finished, with a glass of milk next to his plate.

"Fine. Work's not too bad yet," Jacob said.

"Good, that's good. You're adjusting well? Making friends?" Billy questioned. Jacob mentally smiled at the almost concerned look on his dad's face.

"Yea, I've met a lot of new people," he replied. He walked to the fridge and opened it, looking inside for something small to eat. As he took out a plate of leftovers from the night before, he asked, "So Bella wasn't in school today. She went home early yesterday too, I think. Someone told me she went camping."

When he turned to face his father, there was a scowl on the older Black's face, which he quickly tried to hide as he caught his son's gaze.

"Camping hm? With the Cullens, I'm sure."

"Yea, some kids mentioned them. You know them well?" Jacob asked as he placed the food in the microwave.

"Well enough. I figured they wouldn't show up to school today."

"So when'll I get to meet them? Town this small, I'm surprised I haven't seen them yet." Jacob took out the plate and grabbed a spoon before taking a seat at the table across from his father.

"The _Cullens_," his dad seemed to spit out the name, "are not what we would call, _our_ kind of people. It's best that you don't associate with them at school."

"Why not?"

"Just stay away from them Jacob!" Jacob was taken aback back by the vehemence in his father's voice. This was the first time Jacob could remember his father raising his voice to him and he had to admit, he was quite unsettled by it. There had to be something about the Cullens to make his father feel so hateful against them.

"Okay, I will." The two were quiet for a while as they both finished up their meals.

"Some of the kids invited me to a bonfire down at La Push Lake this Friday. I figured I'd catch a ride with Seth and go, if that's okay with you?"

Billy nodded. "Of course, just be careful. Don't want you having too much fun this early on in the year," he said with a wink. He rolled his wheelchair back, placing his plate on his lap before making his way to the sink where he dropped the dirty dish.

Jacob expected his father to leave then, so he was surprised when his dad rolled his wheelchair next to Jacob's seat, placing a warm hand on his arm.

"Jacob, have you been feeling…different, at all lately?"

Jacob was surprised and more than a little confused by the question, wondering what his father meant. "What do you mean? Different how?"

But his father simply shook his head, rolling backwards away from Jacob.

"Nothing," he said. "But you'll tell me if you anything happens won't you? You can trust me Jacob."

"Uhm, thanks. And yea, I'll tell you if anything happens." Jacob answered. Pleased with his answer, Jacob's dad wheeled himself out of the kitchen, leaving Jacob in the small room alone with his food, suddenly feeling like he'd completely missed something important during the conversation.

* * *

_**TBC**_


	5. Chapter 3 The Story

**Chapter 3 – **The Story

**Brief Notes: **Title taken from the song by Brandi Carlile, _The Story_. Sorry for the delay, but the chapter is the longest so far. :)

Thank you so much for all the reviews. I appreciate all the feedback. I know some of you are confused by the prologue, but that scene is not on the same timeline as chapters 1-3. It comes much, much later on. I'm still not sure _when_ Edward will make his appearance, but I do know _how_, so that counts for something.

**Warnings: **None for this chapter.

**

* * *

**

_Jacob didn't know where he was, but wherever it was, it was beautiful._

_The grass was a shimmering green, the emerald hues so bright they seem to reflect the very sunlight. As he looked around, he realized he was in a clearing of sorts, tall, leafy trees enclosing him on all sides._

_He should have felt scared, not knowing where he was, but instead he felt calm, peaceful, as though he was exactly where he was supposed to be._

_He didn't know how long he lay there in the grass. It could have been years later when something finally disturbed his quiet solitude._

"_Jacob," his name was whispered._

_Jacob looked around, trying to find the source of the voice._

"_Jacob," it called again. Jacob sat up quickly, searching the small area for someone else with him._

"_Who are you?" There was no fear or hesitancy when Jacob spoke. In some way, it was almost as though he already knew who it was. But that was impossible, wasn't it?_

"_Find me," the voice called out to him._

"_How? I can't see you," Jacob cried. He felt a sense of urgency suddenly overtake him. He stood quickly, frantically looking around the clearing now._

"_Please, who are you?"_

"_Find me Jacob. Find me," the voice continued to say._

"_How? Tell me where to find you! Tell me who you are!" Jacob cried openly now. His heart was hammering within his chest, his skin suddenly feeling too tight, too warm._

"_How can I find you if I don't even know what you look like? At least tell me your name!"_

"_You know my name. Now find me Jacob, before it's too late…"_

"_WAIT! Tell me where to find you!"_

"_Jacob…Jacob…"_

"Jacob!"

Jacob sat up quickly in bed, his heart racing as he ran a hand across his face.

"Jacob, son, are you alright?" Jacob stared at his bedroom door before his father's words sunk in.

"Uh, yea, sorry, I just had a…bad dream," he called back.

His father's voice still sounded worried when he called back from the bottom of the staircase, "Are you sure? You're okay?"

"Yea, sorry if I woke you." He felt bad for making his father worry, but felt relieved nonetheless when his father moved away from the staircase.

Stealing a look at the clock on his bedside table, Jacob slumped back onto the bed. There was still an hour before he'd have to get ready for school but he didn't think he could doze for even a few minutes, feeling shaken from the dream.

_What is going on? That's the third night in the row I've had that dream._

It was strange, the dream. Jacob had never had one remotely close to it in his life, let alone have the same one 3 nights in a row.

He wondered if it was just the stress of the week. It had been the first week at a new school after all, so he figured he was bound to feel stressed out, what with the class work and having to adjust.

_Hopefully tonight will help me relax a little_, he thought to himself.

It was Friday, the day of the bonfire. After some initial hesitation, Jacob had soon grown excited for the event, almost eager now to really get to meet everyone in a relaxed setting.

Most of the Quileute boys would be there, he'd heard, not to mention many of the kids from the Forks High. Jacob had wondered the whole week if Bella would be coming, but the week proved to be a rare occurrence in Forks; it'd been sunny so far for the whole week. Bella had still not made an appearance to school yet since the first day, apparently still camping.

As Jacob continued to lie on his back, staring at his ceiling, he couldn't help but think about Bella.

He hadn't seen her since Monday. According to everyone else, she was camping with the Cullens, but that was what was so strange. He had a hard time believing Mr. Swan would let his daughter skip a week of school to go camping with her boyfriend.

This led him to wonder over the Cullens. Since he'd first heard of them, Jacob couldn't help but be intrigued. Everyone seemed to have something different to say about the family, some of it good, some of it bad, but most of it unusual.

For one thing, after talking more with Lauren , Angela, and Mike (Jacob learned early that it was not a good idea to bring up the Cullens around Jessica), he'd found out that the entire family was supposedly unusually good looking. _Maybe they're just stuck up and only adopt pretty kids_, Jacob thought to himself. He didn't really believe it though. From what he knew, Dr. Carlisle Cullen and his wife seemed like saints, definitely not the type to adopt merely for looks.

But aside from being 'gorgeous', as they'd been described as, they were also all very independent, hanging out only with themselves and never associating with anyone else, except Bella.

The more he learned about them, the more curious he became. He was almost impatient to meet them, wanting to see for himself what all the fuss was about.

Before he knew it, Jacob realized that he had to start getting ready for school or risk being late. With a sigh, he heaved himself up from bed and made his way to the bathroom.

He made his way downstairs with thudding footsteps, alerting his dad to his presence.

"You sure you're okay son?" Billy asked, the moment Jacob stepped into the kitchen.

Billy was at the table, sipping a cup a tea.

"Yea, sorry if I woke you. It was just a bad dream."

"You wanna talk about it?"

"It was nothing. I was just a little shaken I guess."

"You know, dreams are often glimpses into our soul's desires," Billy said. Jacob looked at him for a second before laughing.

"Sure dad, whatever you say." Jacob grabbed some things for cereal and sat down at the table.

"So, have any idea what you want to do for you birthday?" his dad asked.

Jacob swallowed a bite of his food before answering. "Uhm, I figured I'd just hang out here, with you. Maybe invite Seth over or something."

"Oh come now, it's not every day you turn 17! Do something exciting. You'll be a man after all," Billy answered, smiling. They both looked at each other for a moment before bursting out into laughter.

"I can't believe you just said that," Jacob asked, still grinning.

"Well, forgive an old man and his ways," Billy said. "Really though Jacob, you should do something fun. I don't want you to feel like you have to spend all your time with me."

"Hey, it's not like I do either way. I go out," Jacob replied, sounding slightly indignant.

Billy held up his hands as though in surrender. "Yes, yes, of course."

Jacob finished his food and put the bowl away in the sink. He was just about to grab his bag from where it was against the wall when he heard a loud knock on the door, followed by a shrill voice.

"Hellooo house of Black!" Seth called out as he opened the door. Jacob rolled his eyes in mild irritation. Seth strolled into the kitchen, grabbing a cup from the cupboard and pouring tea from the pot into it.

"Seth, don't you ever eat in your _own_ home?" Jacob asked, rolling his eyes as the younger boy stuck his tongue out at him.

"Hey, it's not my fault my mom works the night shift and can't make me breakfast."

"What about your dad, or does he just refuse to cook for your whiny mouth?" Jacob teased.

He saw Seth grimace for a second. "Dad could burn cereal without even trying, so no way am I letting him cook for me. Besides, you owe me, considering how many times my mom's carted your butt to school this week."

"Wha-"

"And Jacob is especially grateful for that, _aren't_ you, Jacob?" Billy quickly interrupted, shooting his son a serious look. Jacob caught Seth grinning at him smugly and had to resist the urge to flip the boy off. No need to get his dad worked up, after all.

"Yea, of course I am," he muttered, glaring at Seth's smirk. He was about to come back with a better retort, when Seth's mom honked.

Seth quickly downed the rest of the tea, wincing as it scalded his throat, before grabbing his bag.

"Come along, dear Jacob. Mustn't keep mother waiting."

"I hate you," Jacob said. He grabbed his bag, following Seth down the hall.

"Don't you boys make any trouble, you hear?" his dad called after them.

"Sure thing, Mr. Black!" Seth laughed as he opened the door. Jacob merely groaned.

* * *

"So, you're still coming tonight, right Jay?" Jacob mentally winced at the nickname, something only his mom had ever called him, before nodding in Jessica's direction.

"Yea, I'm coming," he answered.

It was lunch again, and he was sitting with the regular group. He'd spent lunch all week with Jess, Lauren, Angela, Mike and Tyler, whom he'd been introduced to later on. While they were, simply put, the biggest group of gossipers Jacob had ever met, they were all good company on their own, even if they did have the tendency to put him on the spot.

"Dude, I can't believe Bella's been gone all week," Tyler said.

Of all of them, Tyler and Jessica seemed to have the most against Bella, although for different reasons. Tyler, Jacob had figured, had quite the crush on his friend, and Jess seemed to harbor the same strong feelings, except for _Edward Cullen_.

_Man, I have to meet this guy. What is so great about this family anyway?_ Jacob thought to himself.

"Oh, let it go Tyler," Lauren sniped. She, apparently, had a thing for Tyler. _What a sad love triangle_.

"She's probably back by now anyway. Weather report said it's supposed to rain like crazy by tonight." Angela supplied.

"The bonfire still on then?"

"Jacob my friend, this bonfire will happen even if Zeus himself tries to strike us down." The friends all rolled their eyes at Mike's statement, but no one commented.

The rest of lunch passed uneventfully. By the time Jacob made it to his last period of the day, it appeared that Angela's prediction would come true, as clouds were covering every inch of the sky and threatening to downpour any minute.

After the last bell ended, he caught up with Seth, the two of them walking towards the parking lot where Seth's mom was waiting.

"You ready for tonight?" Seth asked conversationally as they both dumped their bags in the trunk.

"I guess."

"What? Not excited for all the fun that's sure to go down?"

Jacob let out a huff. "I doubt too much fun is gonna happen when it's supposed to rain all night."

"Oh don't be such downer! The bonfire's always fun, even if it does rain every year."

"Now Seth, Jacob, I want you two to both be careful tonight. The lake can be dangerous, especially at night and what with the weather reports, it'll be especially bad," Seth's mother warned, shooting a stern look his way as he harrumphed her words.

"Yea, yea, I know mom." Seth spun around in his seat in the front and grinned at Jacob.

"I promise not to accidentally kill you, Jacob," Seth said. His mother immediately smacked his arm and gave him another stern look, but it was ineffective, considering they both burst out laughing after a second.

Although Jacob joined in, he couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding at Seth's words.

* * *

It was several hours later and Jacob was seriously beginning to rue the day he'd agreed to coming to the outing.

Seth and he were walking down a dirt trail in the woods. While it was a short distance from the road to the lake, they were forced to walk in the woods during the dim twilight in order to reach the beach. And quite frankly, Jacob was miserable.

While it wasn't down pouring as the weather reports had claimed it would, it may as well have been. The steady drizzling was cold enough, made only colder by the cool night. Jacob had his hands buried in the pockets of his jacket, the hood of his sweatshirt pulled tightly over his head. He wondered again why he'd chosen not to bring his umbrella.

"Well this sure is fun," Jacob said sarcastically, as Seth stumbled and grabbed onto Jacob's arm to keep his balance.

"Shut up, it'll be better once we get to the fire…and the booze of course," Seth said. Jacob could almost hear the wink in Seth's voice.

"How did I let you talk me into this?"

"If I recall correctly, _you_ were the one who came to _me_, asking for a ride here."

"Whatever," Jacob muttered. Walking under a canopy of trees with wet leaves was not helping to keep him dry, not in the least.

Jacob was freezing, water from puddles beginning to seep into his shoes. There was nothing like wet feet when walking through a dark forest.

Oddly enough, Jacob didn't feel an ounce of fear, even considering that he was putting almost all his trust in Seth to get him to the lake in one piece, considering he hadn't been there yet and had no idea how to get there. Another reason why he'd asked for Seth to give him ride, although he was quickly beginning to regret even coming in the first place.

"So," Seth asked conversationally, without a trace of misery in his voice, "your birthday's next week right?"

"Yea, Saturday."

"You know what you're doing yet?"

"Nope. No clue. Figured I'd just chill with my dad or something."

"Aw come on, do something cool! I bet you could easily weasel something awesome out of your dad."

"Why? What could I _possibly_ weasel out of my dad in a town with a population smaller than my old high school with fuck all to do?"

"Hey, hey, no need to get testy with me," Seth said, giving Jacob a hurt a look.

"Sorry. I'm just…not in the best of moods right now." Jacob replied, instantly feeling sorry for the tone he'd taken with the younger boy.

"Naw, it's alright. But hey, we're here!" With that, Seth jogged away from Jacob, his steps sloshing up water around him as he jogged to the site.

Somehow, despite the steady drizzling, the kids already there had managed to get a large fire going. Jacob saw it before he stepped out from the woods.

A few feet in and the cold, sopping grass gave way to wet sand that stuck to Jacob's shoes and squished with each step he took. _Great, I'll definitely be throwing these shoes away_.

He watched as Seth ran over to a group of boys. Upon closer inspection, he realized they were none other than the boys from the reservation. He couldn't tell who they were specifically from where he stood, but he figured among them would be Quil, Embry, Paul and maybe Leah, although he couldn't quite tell in the dark if it was her or not.

There were already many people around the campsite, most of them hanging by the fire. As soon as he was close enough to be seen, he heard his name called out.

"Jacob, man, over here!" Jacob followed the voice to the fire, instantly recognizing his five friends from lunch.

"Hey," he replied to a chorus of hellos back.

"Here Jacob," Jessica said, "have one." She thrust a cold can into his hand. He grinned at her in thanks before flicking the top open with his nail and taking a long drink. Despite the cold, the cool beer felt good going down his throat.

There was music playing in the background, someone must have brought a stereo along. Odd couples were scattered about dancing, some people huddling in clusters and simply swaying to the music.

Tyler, Angela, Mike, Jess, and Laurens' faces were illuminated by the fire as they all stood close together around it. They each held their own can of before except for Angela, who had a can of soda.

"How long've you been here?" Jacob asked, trying to break the awkward silence that seemed to have fallen among the group with his arrival.

"About a half hour, don't worry, you didn't miss anything." Mike answered.

"Not to sound rude or ungrateful or anything, but how long do these things usually last?"

The group laughed before Tyler replied, "Only a couple of hours. If your toes aren't frozen yet, they will be by the time you leave."

"Great, looking forward to it." Jacob could tell it was going to be a long night.

* * *

And it was. By the time it was 10 o'clock, Jacob's fingers, toes, _and_ face were all frozen. He imagined he must have looked close to frightening, what with his face probably red from the cold and his whole body wet from the rain.

Surprisingly enough though, he found himself having fun, although that might have been attributed to the flowing beer that was being passed around.

"So, who's got some ghost stories?" Everyone groaned at Mike's suggestion.

"Aw come on, man, not again!" Tyler said to a round of laughter from everyone.

Many of the kids had gone home as the hour grew late. Aside from the reservation kids and Jacob's friends, there were only about five or so other people huddling around the fire.

"What? Am I missing something?" Jacob asked, still chuckling.

"No, Mike's just being his usual loser self," Jessica said, giving him a large smile.

"Hey! As if you guys don't love it!"

"Shut up Mike. No one wants to hear your stupid stories," Lauren said.

"Jacob does, don't you Jake?" All eyes seemed to be on Jacob then, and he shuddered.

"Hey, don't bring me into this!" he said quickly, eager to divert the attention away from him.

"I've got one."

The entire group turned to look at Paul, who'd spoken. For some reason, everyone seemed to quiet down at his words. Perhaps it was simply his imagination, but Jacob could have sworn even the wind seemed to blow more softly, as though wanting everyone to hear what he had to say.

"Paul, don't-" Embry seemed to say, but Paul quickly spoke over him.

"Relax Em. It's just a harmless story. No one's going to get too scared, right?" He looked around the campsite, as though daring someone to object to his words. When no one spoke up, he continued.

"It's a story my dad told to me once, more like a history of La Push, I guess you could say." He paused for a second, and Jacob took the moment to look at the faces of the other four reservation members. They all had a grimace on their faces.

"A long, long time ago, way before any of your folk," at this he looked to Jacob's circle of friends, clearly indicating them, "settled here, the families in La Push lived peacefully. We lived the stereotypical, Native American life." He broke off again, his serious eyes no longer meeting the gazes of those around him but staring intently into the fire instead.

"Generations passed. Like all generations, each one passed down to their offspring their own tales of ancestry, superstition, myths.

"The Quileutes, my father used to tell me, descended from the ancient wolves. It's against our law to hunt them you know." He snapped a small twig off the log he was sitting on and threw it absentmindedly into the fire.

"Our ancestors were supposedly sworn to protect this land, keep it safe-"

"From what?" Mike interrupted. Everyone turned to look at him a for a second before looking back at Paul. Although no one else spoke, it was clear they were all wondering the same thing.

Paul's face was marred by a frown as he looked up into Mike's face before turning back to stare into the fire.

"They're called the _cold ones_ in the ancient tribal stories," he finally said. With his statement, Seth, Quil, Embry, and Leah all seemed to stiffen, sharing a look between each other. Jacob wasn't sure if Paul had noticed their silent conversation, but he figured he hadn't when Paul kept speaking.

"It's all just a legend of course. And there are so many different versions of it, it's impossible to sift out the ones that are complete bull with the ones that hold some truth.

"As far as the legend goes though, it was Jacob's own ancestor that created a treaty with them in the first place. La Push land was completely off limits to their kind, and in return they could stay by the town without fear of attack from the tribe."

"Who were they?" Jacob asked, almost surprising himself when he heard his voice ask the question. "The cold ones, who were they?"

Paul didn't look up as he answered. "I guess you wouldn't call them 'cold ones' anymore. Vampire is the closest word I can think of to describe them.

"Their skin, supposedly, is as cold as ice, hence why they were called the cold ones. They're all supposed to be beautiful, inhumanely good looking. Easier for them to lure people in I guess," he seemed to add the last bit more to himself than anything.

"What happened to them?" Tyler asked. A quick glance around showed Jacob that although everyone was silent, no one believed Paul's story. _It is pretty crazy, after all. Vampires? Wolves?_ Jacob thought to himself.

"Who, the cold ones?" Paul asked. "Nothing," he said. He laughed then, but it was a dry, mirthless laugh. It embodied something Jacob couldn't pinpoint, but it was as though Paul was thinking of something he had yet to share with the rest of them.

"Nothing happened to them," he repeated. "Nothing at all."

After a few seconds of silence, the group broke out into quiet chatter amongst themselves. But even as Paul's words died into the air, all the members of the reserve, Jacob included, had solemn looks on their faces.

* * *

_**TBC**_


	6. Author's Apology

**_My sincerest apologies_**

I cannot believe how long it's been since I last updated. Where has the time gone? I wonder.

To all those who are awaiting the next chapter, I apologize that this is not an update. I just wanted to say sorry for the ridiculously long wait. I do have the next chapter nearly completed. The difficulty in this story is that I've chosen to "reboot" in a sense the entire Twilight timeline, meaning everything from Meyer's story is null and void; hence why this is an au.

As such, as an author I _shouldn't_ be making the assumption that everyone knows what everything is, whereas as a fanfic writer, I just want to take the easy way out and do just that. Describing what most people already have garnered from the original is, in a nutshell, taxing to say the least.

Anyway, this is just to say I haven't yet died. Again, so so so sorry this isn't an update.

But I do have some good news, though some may balk at this announcement. I've been working on a different imprint story, one that begins directly after New Moon. This fic however will be completed (almost there) and posted sometime in the next few days. Go to my lifejournal (link in my profile) for the accompanying fic art and soundtrack.

Once again, sorry, but hopefully not too many of you have run off :)


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